Tell me your best Magnesium Product for Sleep

[DarlingCoffee]

I’ve been experiencing waking in the early hours for a number of years now - usually the typical 3am waking, most, if not all nights. I have no trouble falling asleep - just with a full night sleep like I used to. I’m late 40s for context.

I miss that rested feeling of a good nights sleep! I feel like i have tried everything - Including HRT, various magnesium ‘sleep’ capsules, CBD and so on but nothing has really cracked it. Would welcome any recommendations on products that have worked for them or any other helpful advice! Thank you in advance!

It’s about preparing for sleep earlier in the day, so for me that’s no caffeine after 12md and no dairy/fluids after my evening meal. I take magnesium glycinate when I brush my teeth.
I don’t go on my phone/iPad after 9pm, and I go to bed every night at 10pm to read a book and go to sleep.
My room is tidy, and I don’t have any clutter in it.
I gave up alcohol as that was giving me night sweats and disturbed sleep.
Sleeping separate from DH has helped massively.
Sometimes I get a bit anxious on a night before work, so I will pop the occasional antihistamine on those nights.

I use Sweet Bee magnesium butter - you put it on the sole of your feet. Apparently much more effective than using tablets and I find it helps. I use it to help sleep and also ease migraines. Also agree with everything DustyLee123 said as well.

I swear by 'This Works' pillow spray. It is amazing stuff. I gift it to everyone!

Chelated magnesium from Solgar - this is magnesium glycinate and has really helped my sleep (49). I take 3 at bed time

The best way to get magnesium is in the bath! This is what Epsom salts are for. Our bodies absorb magnesium through the skin and, best of all, just stop absorbing when they've got enough.

Zero risk of overdose, no diarrhoea or tummy upsets, no need for bio-compatibility tweaks. Also good for your skin.

I use this on recommendation from a sports coach PILLAR - Triple Magnesium Powder - Berry - Glass Jar | Run4It

Harrogate Organics magnesium spray. I swear by it.

Agreed, this stuff is magic I buy in bulk and distribute to everyone I know. I even gave some to my brother for his dog and he loves it too! I use it for joint pains after gardening and spray on the back of neck and lower legs before sleep it’s very relaxing

Just bought the above magnesium spray. Please god let it work! 🙏🙏

I'm not knocking that magnesium spray - it should work, particularly if you don't have baths and can't be bothered to make an Epsom salt shower scrub. This is because I used to write copy for a 'natural health' product range and am awestruck by Harrogate Organics' ingredients list! It's pure skill.

For anyone interested, here's a translation.

Aqua - serves as a gentle oasis for your skin, ensuring it stays beautifully moisturised and glowing, while harmonising its moisture levels.
Water, innit.

Magnesium Chloride - soothes redness, minimises water loss through the skin, and enhances the skin's protective barrier and texture.
Epsom Salt.

Propanediol - is a moisture magnet for your skin, making it feel wonderfully soft and supple. It helps other ingredients penetrate deeper through your skin and work their magic.
Solvent. It does have the skin-friendly properties mentioned here, like glycerine.

PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil - facilitates a seamless blend with oils and impurities on the skin, it simplifies their swift removal, ensuring a thorough and effortless cleansing experience.
Oil. Castor oil is antibacterial but so are almost all the other ingredients, so I assume this is here as a moisturiser.

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil - from the leaves of the Eucalyptus Globulus tree, this essential oil is valued for its soft subtle and healing aroma and the potential benefits it offers for the skin.
Smells nice and vaguely medical, which helps with perception.

Citric acid - helps achieve the ideal pH balance, a secret to unlocking the full potential and lasting quality of this skincare wonder for your skin.
Acid. Magnesium Chloride's PH neutral, so wouldn't normally need correcting, but it does become alkaline in strong solutions. Alkalis are bad for the skin, whereas a mild acid can help deliver product.

Potassium Sorbate - serves as a protective shield for the spray, guarding it against harmful bacteria and ensuring it enjoys an extended and vibrant existence.
Preservative.

Sodium Benzoate - maintains the product’s quality, extending its purpose of leaving an antimicrobial effect and helps eradicate any adverse effects on skin.
Preservative.

DIY recipes

1. Just chuck a handful of Epsom salts in your bath.

2. Make a paste with Epsom salts and one or more viscous carriers, such as glycerine and/or olive oil (or baby oil, whatever). Add a bit of lemon juice and an essential oil if you like. Use as a shower scrub.

If you don't feel like a kitchen chemist, you can just mix it with shower gel.

3. Make your own magic medicine. Dissolve Epsom salts in a cup of warm water until it won't take any more (50 - 60 grams per 100ml). Add about one shot of alcohol (pure or vodka/gin) with a squirt of glycerine and a bit of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir to see if the magnesium will now fully dissolve. If it does, try adding a bit more - if it gets grainy again, add a tiny bit more alcohol. Add some oil and a nice smell if you want.

This won't work in a fine spray, but it's OK in a trigger spray bottle. Alternatively, you can apply it to your skin with cotton wool. If you made a lot and expect to have it for some time, you'll need to add salt as a preservative.

Instead of using water and salt, the mixture can be made with just glycerine and alcohol. Both are excellent solvents for magnesium chloride, and both are preservatives.

I realise most sane people would prefer to buy a ready-made product 😂I'm just passing the time! Have fun if you fancy a go - it's cheap and safe.

Wow! This is astonishing. So they're dissolving Epsom salts into a spray and selling it at a massive markup?! Bloody hell

GarlicBest needs to have her own thread of handy hints and tips for us lesser mortals 😁.

The PEG40 is likely there as an emulsifier: you have water and your have eucalyptus oil, which won't mix well naturally. Using an emulsifier means the product won't keep separating in the bottle. And probably makes the product sprayable

PEGs also have a slightly "waxy" feel to them and can help act as a moisturiser, in the sense that they can offer a smoothing sensation on the skin.

(For anyone geeky enough to be interested, in PEG (polyethylene glycol), the number refers to to the chain length of the carbon backbone in the organic molecule it's made up of. PEG40=40 Carbons in a chain per molecule. The lower the number, the more liquidous it is a room temp (40 is low). Hence using it in a spray: it will turn into an aerosol nicely. PEG8000 for example is usually found as solid white waxy flakes that feel a bit like very hard candle wax.

PEGs are insanely useful for process chemistry, as they are a great emulsifier, solvent, oderless, tasteless, almost colourless, not harmful to the body and have a long shelf life. You'll find PEG is in loads of cosmetic product (makes toothpaste squeeze for example, and gives lipstick it's texture)

I love this further info, @Butterflyfern! Geeky Deconstructionists for the win 😂 I missed that the PEG40 is a separate ingredient (may well have been deliberate on the copywriter's part) - it'll be the reason that commercial sprays can be finer than home-made ones.

While we're here, glycerine's a forgotten skincare hero. It attracts and traps moisture and, thanks to its gooey texture, bonds with the surface of the skin. (A chemist could definitely explain that better!) This makes it an incredibly good moisturiser. When laundry was all done by hand, workers would rub glycerine over slightly damp hands after finishing - contrary to expectations, laundresses were known for the softness of their hands 🙂

Thanks @Garlicbest and @Butterflyfern . Love this.

Has anyone tried the Neom magnesium cream ? I too am desperate for a decent nights sleep. I actually feel like I’m losing the will. When I’m just on the oestrogen gel stage of my cycle I just can’t stay asleep. I take progesterone tablets on days 10 to 15 which makes my sleep better but I get so bloated and blocked up.